Breakdown of ليت لهذا العصفور جناحا كبيرا.
الal
the
كبيرkabîr
big
هذاhâdhâ
this (m)
لli
for, to (attached)
عصفور'usfûr
sparrow (small bird)
ليتlayta
if only / I wish
جناحjanâh
wing
Questions & Answers about ليت لهذا العصفور جناحا كبيرا.
Why is جناحا (a wing) in the accusative case here?
It is the subject of ليت (If only). Since ليت is one of the sisters of إنّ (Inna), it forces its subject into the accusative case. Even though it appears later in the sentence, جناحا is the core noun being wished for.
Why is the subject جناحا pushed so far back in the sentence?
In Arabic, when a subject is indefinite (a wing, rather than the wing) and the predicate is a prepositional phrase like لهذا (for this), the subject must be delayed. The sentence literally flows as: If only for this bird (is) a large wing.
Why doesn't العصفور (the bird) take the accusative case, considering it comes right after ليت?
Because العصفور is not the subject of ليت. It is linked to the demonstrative pronoun هذا (this). When a noun starting with 'al-' directly follows a demonstrative, it acts as a substitute and copies its case. Since هذا is attached to the preposition لِ (for), العصفور takes the genitive case instead.
Why does the adjective كبيرا (large) also take the accusative ending?
Adjectives in Arabic always match the noun they describe in case, gender, and definiteness. Because the noun جناحا is forced into the accusative case by ليت, its adjective كبيرا must follow suit and also be accusative.
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